A large number of terminal blocks such as circuit breakers and industrial control equipment may be mounted on the DIN rail. The DIN rail makes possible a compact, organized arrangement of terminal blocks and other DIN rail mount components. This gives more than just the appearance of quality; it saves time and space, enhances design capabilities and provides a centralized connect-disconnect area. At the same time, the DIN concept allows designers to take advantage of constant advances in terminal block technology. More particularly, the DIN rail components do more than terminating wires. The DIN rail components distribute power and ground, protect against overloads and perform a host of other sophisticated functions. Whatever the application: control systems, instrumentation, automation, the DIN rail terminal blocks can be updated. However, mounting of a terminal block on a DIN rail is complicated. Various connectors are known in the prior art for mounting the DIN rail terminal blocks onto the DIN rail.
For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,805 having a priority date of 31 Mar. 1996 discloses a connector for connection to a rail. More particularly, the '805 US granted patent discloses an electrical connector for a DIN rail with rail flanges, including a body, a carrier vertically movable with respect to the body, an actuator and a pair of clamp members having rail-engageable hook portions. At least one of the clamp members is movable toward the other by the carrier upon actuation for mechanically and electrically clamping onto a respective rail flange. A pair of such clamp members may be cammed inwardly and upwardly along slots in side walls of body upon actuation, or the clamp members may include flanges pivotably held in body side wall holes for rotating the hook portions inwardly and upwardly against the rail flanges. Such connector is adapted to be mounted beneath a circuit board prior to being clamped onto the DIN rail. However, the connector of the prior art is expensive and fails to prevent unintended disengagement of the DIN rail terminal blocks/connector from the DIN rail.
Accordingly, there is a need for a clamping arrangement that is adapted to assuredly clamp the DIN rail terminal blocks/connector to the DIN rail, while permitting intentional removal of the DIN rail terminal blocks/connector from the DIN rail. Further, there is a need for a clamping arrangement that prevents unintended disengagement of the DIN rail terminal blocks/connector from the DIN rail.